November 29, 2007

Prianiki for the Holidays


Ginger is a root spice from Indo-Malaysia long used in Oriental cuisine and heralded for its medicinal qualities. It soothes an upset stomach, invigorates the circulatory system and can help prevent the onset of the common cold. As early as 2000 BC, ginger was used in cooking, mainly in ginger - honey cakes available only to the wealthy and royal. Finally, in the 1200s AD, European explorers and traders introduced ginger to the West. Soon, a recipe of flour, precious honey and ginger spice was created and gingerbread was born. Medieval European ladies would bake this flat bread in various shapes such has hearts to ward off evil. Gingerbread was most plentiful, during this time, in Germany because of its extensive trade with the East. By the 1800s and the introduction of molasses, gingerbread became a maninstay of all, not just the wealthy. We are all familiar with the German folktale of Hansel and Gretel which prompted the creation of gingerbread houses, still popular today.

Russian Prianiki

Gingerbread, or prianiki, was a favorite treat throughout Europe including Russia, Lithuania, Estonia and Poland. In the beginning, prianiki was made of flour, honey and sometimes, egg. With the creation of leavening agents, such as baking soda and baking powder, prianiki took on height. Honey was an essential ingredient as refined sugar was not available in Europe or Russia yet.

Each country developed trade guilds who endeavored to create a better product than the next. Similar to bread baking, prianiki became a matter of pride for many communities. During the 1500 to 1800s, some of the most popular bakers of ginger bread were Nuremberg in Germany, Torun in Poland and Tula, Vyazma and Arkhangelsk in Russia. In Tula, bakers garnished their prianiki with berry jams while Vyazma introduced the use of molasses. Arkhangelsk created fancy little shaped cakes, bathed in colored icings.

Traditional prianiki is dense, spicy and chewy, not crunchy as is the case with modern ginger cookies. Prianiki were and are made in many shapes and are often stamped with a wooden press to produce a design on the surface of the cake. Possibly the most popular prianiki comes from Tula, south of Moscow and famed home of metal crafts and samovar production. Not surprising considering prainiki is perfect with a hot, dark cup of tea!

What follows is a traditional Russian recipe for prianiki. It's easy to prepare and sure to be a joy during the Holidays, or any time throughout the year. This recipe will make about 15 - 18 cakes. Of course, you can cut your dough into any desired shape.

Ingredients
1 oz butter
6 oz honey (I like wildflower honey best)
6 oz jam (plum is preferred, quince is good too)
1 egg
8 oz plain flour
2 oz icing sugar (confectioner's sugar)
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp each cardomon, ginger, and cinnamon
1 tbs crushed blanched almonds
2 tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice

Preparation
- Cream together butter and honey
- Add egg and beat
- Blend in baking soda, spices and almonds
- Add enough flour to make a soft ball of dough
- Cover with waxed paper and refrigerate for 1 hour
- Heat oven to 350 F and prepare a lightly floured board
- Roll out dough to 1/8" thickness
- With a 2 - 3" floured cutter, cut out an even number of circles
- Cut each circle in half
- Spread half with jam and place other half on top, sealing edges
- Place on greased baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes
- Reduce oven heat to 325 F and bake for 10 more minutes
- Cool cakes on a wire rack
- Combine lemon juice and icing sugar, drizzle over cooled cakes
- Enjoy!


This is the definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine, layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context. Get A Taste of Russia.

Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

The Frogs Who Begged for a Tsar (bilingual)

The Frogs Who Begged for a Tsar (bilingual)

The fables of Ivan Krylov are rich fonts of Russian cultural wisdom and experience – reading and understanding them is vital to grasping the Russian worldview. This new edition of 62 of Krylov’s tales presents them side-by-side in English and Russian. The wonderfully lyrical translations by Lydia Razran Stone are accompanied by original, whimsical color illustrations by Katya Korobkina.
The Little Golden Calf

The Little Golden Calf

Our edition of The Little Golden Calf, one of the greatest Russian satires ever, is the first new translation of this classic novel in nearly fifty years. It is also the first unabridged, uncensored English translation ever, and is 100% true to the original 1931 serial publication in the Russian journal 30 Dnei. Anne O. Fisher’s translation is copiously annotated, and includes an introduction by Alexandra Ilf, the daughter of one of the book’s two co-authors.
Survival Russian

Survival Russian

Survival Russian is an intensely practical guide to conversational, colloquial and culture-rich Russian. It uses humor, current events and thematically-driven essays to deepen readers’ understanding of Russian language and culture. This enlarged Second Edition of Survival Russian includes over 90 essays and illuminates over 2000 invaluable Russian phrases and words.
Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod is a mid-sized provincial city that exists only in Russian metaphorical space. It has its roots in Gogol, and Ilf and Petrov, and is a place far from Moscow, but close to Russian hearts. It is a place of mystery and normality, of provincial innocence and Black Earth wisdom. Strange, inexplicable things happen in Stargorod. So do good things. And bad things. A lot like life everywhere, one might say. Only with a heavy dose of vodka, longing and mystery.
Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

In this comprehensive, quixotic and addictive book, Edwin Trommelen explores all facets of the Russian obsession with vodka. Peering chiefly through the lenses of history and literature, Trommelen offers up an appropriately complex, rich and bittersweet portrait, based on great respect for Russian culture.
The Samovar Murders

The Samovar Murders

The murder of a poet is always more than a murder. When a famous writer is brutally stabbed on the campus of Moscow’s Lumumba University, the son of a recently deposed African president confesses, and the case assumes political implications that no one wants any part of.
Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

This is the work that made Chekhov, launching his career as a writer and playwright of national and international renown. Retranslated and updated, this new bilingual edition is a super way to improve your Russian.
The Moscow Eccentric

The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.
A Taste of Chekhov

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.
Dostoyevsky Bilingual

Dostoyevsky Bilingual

Bilingual series of short, lesser known, but highly significant works that show the traditional view of Dostoyevsky as a dour, intense, philosophical writer to be unnecessarily one-sided. 

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955